Jimmy Osmond can’t wait to visit the capital with the world famous ‘Andy Williams Christmas Spectacular’ as he believes that he will be returning to his Scottish roots. Last year the pop icon discovered a Welsh ancestor and this has spurred him on to find a Scot in his family tree. (which should come as no surprise to anyone considering that his siblings are called Donald and Marie).
Despite a health scare several years ago, Jimmy has never been busier. He’s appeared in films, on numerous television shows, and in musical theatres around the world. He’s also produced and financed countless live productions from record-breaking concert tours to Las Vegas extravaganzas as well as acquiring the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson, Mo. In Utah,
He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Children’s Miracle Network, which has been instrumental in raising more than $5 billion to benefit 170 children’s hospitals in the USA and Canada and last year he even found time to write and publish a new children’s book with a very familiar ring to it: the “Awesome Possum Family Band.
Earlier today, Jimmy kindly took time out of his hectic schedule to chat to the Edinburgh Reporter about the show, and his quest to confirm that Scottish blood runs through his veins.
Jimmy said: “I’ve only recently started to get into it with my brothers but I’m sure we have some Scottish ancestry. We definitely have some Welsh as I was over doing a hospital dedication last year for my charity and discovered that the guy that started that hospital was actually my great great grandfather and I have always believed that we got our musical talent from the Scots and the Welsh side of the family.
“I really love it in Scotland, it’s my favourite place with the beautiful countryside and I am thrilled to bring Andy’s Christmas Spectacular to our friends there.
“I have visited Edinburgh many times and love it there. I always wear a kilt although I remember the last time I was there, I did a bit of a spin and a photographer managed to get a photo from a wrong angle which was then plastered all over the papers, but I love the people there and when we do concerts there is no place compares to level of energy and response than from the people of Scotland.
I’m also a golf fanatic and I actually spent my sixteenth birthday playing the home of golf at St Andrews although I have to admit that I was terrible.”
So what can the audience expect at The Queen’s Hall?
“If you ever grew up watching our shows or the Andy Williams shows you will find that same style this year. Everybody loves nostalgia and people love to look back at an easier time, especially at Christmas time. The Andy Williams show has always been a tradition in America and we grew up playing on that show. In fact last year three prime time US specials were dedicated to Andy as people just don’t want to let go of his memory.
“I first appeared on Andy William’s stage when I was only three years old. My brothers had been singing back-up on Andy’s biggest hits and had been regulars on his hit television series for several years. It’s such a joy to carry on Andy’s legacy and continue his treasured holiday tradition.
“Irish Comedian Jimmy Cricket will display his unique brand of comedy along with the excellent Moon River Singers and Dancers and my brothers, Merrill Jay and myself will be singing the Christmas classics that everyone knows and loves such as Silent Night”, “Last Christmas” and ‘Merry Christmas Everybody as well as our big hits from the seventies such as “Love Me for a Reason”, “Down By The Lazy River” and of course “Crazy Horses” plus of course there will be nostalgic footage of the legendary Andy Williams from Christmases past.
“Hopefully it will evoke a warm and fuzzy feeling for people who want to go and see a Christmas show. It’s all about making the audience happy at the end of the day.
“We take every show seriously and realise that it costs a lot of money to come out and see us and buy our albums so we owe it to our fans to give them what they deserve because they are the ones who made it happen and we learned that at young age. They key to having a long career is staying legit and being grateful for what you have and know that it could go away in a second.
“Our audiences consist of a huge cross section including older people like grandmas plus fans from the seventies who grew up listening to our music and they now bring their own kids to show them what worked for them all those years ago.
Unfortunately big brother and sister Donny and Marie will be unable to make it to Edinburgh for the show as they have been busy in Las Vegas, but fans can relax as there has been no family feud.
“Who are they?? “ Jimmy joked when asked about his superstar siblings. “I still keep in touch with them both and Donny actually lives just a block away from me although I no longer look after his business. We are still close and there has never been any sibling rivalry between us. Of course Donny Marie and I would never have happened without the support of our older brothers and we all celebrate each other’s successes. We’ve all been through the peaks and valleys of our careers and it’s nice to look back now and know that we don’t have a lot to prove but we still have a huge desire to deliver and that’s what has kept us young.”
Fans of a certain age naturally associate Jimmy with a hit song from 1972, namely ‘Long Haired Lover from Liverpool’ but does he still perform the song which keeps him in the ‘record’ books as the youngest performer to have a number one single in the UK Charts?
“I try not to,” he laughed, “but the fans still demand it. So when I do it now it’s kind of tongue in cheek but you have to remember that these songs which are part of your life are part of their lives as well so you have to do them. I still have fun with it as long as I don’t take myself too seriously.
“Actually Long Haired Lover went double platinum and I like to rub that in to my brothers.”
The good news for his millions of fans is that he has never been fitter after a health scare.
He continued: “About 15 years ago I had a stroke on stage but I’m 100% fit now. I had heart surgery and my heart is 100% healthy and fit as a fiddle. I do a lot of walking but probably not enough. I just try to enjoy my life now and I’ve learned how to enjoy the moment a bit more.”
Typically the modest Jimmy plays down the families’ success which saw them perform to sell-out crowds throughout the world as well as selling over 100 million records.
“We weren’t everyone’s cup of tea but we were there and we were part of it all” he said.
The ‘Andy Williams Christmas Spectacular’ is on at the Queen’s Hall on Monday 21st December.
Tickets for the show are available via The Queen’s Hall website and fans also get the chance to have an Osmonds’ VIP Experience which includes attending the last song of the rehearsal, best seats in the house plus photos with the brothers and an exclusive mug and chocolate bar.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
